Le fondazioni milanesi dei padri Teatini

Theatines’ religious houses in Milan The Theatines came to Milan in 1570, thanks to the direct invitation of the archbishop Carlo Borromeo, and they remained in the city until the abolition of the order and the complete selling of the monastic and conventual properties in 1792. During their presence, they settled in three different already existent complexes, and aspired without success to build a new religious house. Starting from the church of Santa Maria near to San Calimero, once owned by the Humiliati, the fathers obtained the once Antonites’ abbey of Sant’Antonio Abate in 1576, which at that time was administrated as a commenda. Then, in 1660, because of the lack of space and the impossibility to acquire the entire urban block, the Theatines requested to establish a new religious house near to the so called Carrobbio crossroad. The idea was hindered by other religious orders already present in the area of the city and, finally, the Theatines obtained in 1669 the old monastery of the Hermits of Saint Jerome and the church dedicated to saint Anna under the urban jurisdiction of Porta Comasina. In this way, for the third time, they took the place of an abolished religious order.